A Narrative Inquiry on Multiple-Identity Construction and Conflict Experience of Graduate Student Mothers

This study analyzes the identity construction and conflict experiences of graduate student mothers. For this purpose, theoretical and empirical research was conducted. The ‘Model of Motivated Multiple Identities (MMMI)’ was constructed, and a preliminary study was conducted on 7 mothers studying in graduate school followed by a narrative inquiry on 3 participants finally selected. As a result, the identity conflict and construction patterns experienced by the participants differed depending on their personal identities, but commonalities were also discovered. As graduate students, they all had a strong need to develop their professional identity into a professional identity, but experienced an identity crisis due to their identity as mothers. Threatening factors and facillitating factors on the process of constructing multiple identities were discovered.